The present invention relates to livestock drenches. More particularly, the present invention relates to a livestock drench adapter for use with a traditional syringe.
Veterinarians and livestock owners oftentimes must orally administer fluids, such as liquid medications, to livestock and other animals. This procedure is oftentimes referred to as drenching. Particularly in the case of liquid medications, the dosage may be relatively low and the liquid may be highly concentrated. Due to the need for proper dosage as well as the expense of the medication, it is desirable to accurately and fully administer the drench solution.
A variety of drenching guns are currently used to deliver drench to the mouth of the animal, such as a cow, sheep or horse. Drenching guns typically comprise a handle and cylinder adapted to deliver a quantity of drench solution to an elongated rod at the end of the device. The elongated rod is inserted into the animal""s mouth. The cylinder usually includes measurement markings so that a measured dose may be given. The elongated rod has one end attached to an outlet end of the cylinder and also a discharge end opposite the cylinder. The elongated rod may be bent at a desired angle to facilitate administration of the drench solution to the animal. A piston within the cylinder is connected to a piston rod which is in turn connected to operating means to control the dosage. A trigger within the handle may be employed as part of the operating means to administer the dosage, and may be configured to incrementally eject a predetermined amount of fluid so that several animals may be drenched before refilling the cylinder. Depending on the drench gun, the rate of flow of the drench solution may be adjusted and one-way valves may be used to prevent backflow into the cylinder.
Although currently used drench guns perform adequately, many livestock owners do not own a drench gun due to cost and storage limitations. Instead, these livestock owners use syringes to drench the animal. Syringes are relatively inexpensive and are used for a variety of other procedures, such as intradermal injections, so it is common for the veterinarian or livestock owner to readily have syringes on hand. However, there are problems associated with using standard syringes. The syringe is usually composed of a plastic which is easily damaged when forced into the mouth of the animal. It is also not uncommon for the animal to chew on the end of the syringe during drenching, rendering the syringe incapable of future use. Another problem experienced when using syringes to drench animals is that syringes have relatively short nozzles. Therefore, in order that the drench solution not be lost, a portion of the syringe itself must be inserted into the animal""s mouth. This also prohibits the viewing of the measurement markings on the syringe during drenching. Insertion of the syringe into the animal""s mouth further requires that the undamaged syringe be cleaned before its next use so as not to contaminate the drench solution.
Accordingly, there is a need for an adapter which provides the benefits of a drench gun while allowing use of traditional syringes. There is also a need for an adapter which is easily stored and transported, economical to manufacture and durable in use. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides other related advantages.
The present invention resides in a syringe drench adapter for livestock which adapts a traditional catheter syringe for use as a drench syringe. The syringe drench adapter of the present invention is economical, easily stored and transported. The syringe drench adapter is also efficient in operation and durable in use.
The present invention is intended to be used with syringes having a barrel, a plunger slidable within the barrel for the intake and expulsion of fluids, a cap formed on the barrel opposite the plunger and an open-ended nozzle extending from the cap.
The syringe drench adapter of the present invention includes a collar removably fittable over the cap and an adjacent portion of the barrel at an end of the syringe. The collar comprises a frustroconical nose and a generally cylindrical skirt extending from the nose. The skirt defines a syringe-receiving opening having an inner diameter which is less than an outer diameter of the syringe barrel so as to form a tight friction fit between the skirt and the syringe. The skirt includes a plurality of longitudinal slots extending from the syringe-receiving opening which provide flexion, and a circumferential ridge which extends radially inwardly and is disposed adjacent to the syringe-receiving opening. The slots are disposed about the periphery of the skirt and are configured so as to reveal syringe measurement markings when the collar is fitted over the end of the syringe.
An elongated tube extends from the nose of the collar and defines a fluid passageway having an inlet removably connected to the nose of the collar and an outlet opposite the inlet for the expulsion of fluids. The nose includes an interiorly threaded aperture for threadably receiving a portion of the elongated tube defining the inlet. The fluid passageway adjacent to the inlet is configured to form-fit the nozzle of the syringe. In one form, the elongated tube includes abutting inlet and outlet sections which are angularly offset from one another to form a bend in the elongated tube.
The collar and elongated tube of the syringe drench adapter are preferably comprised of metal so as to be durable, washable and reusable.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.